Settling-tank



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. M. RIGHTER. SETTLING TANK@ No. 585,121. Patented June 22,1897.

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2 Sheets-8heet 2.

SETTLING TANK.

v Patented June 2 2, 189.7.

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THOMAS M. RIGI-ITER, OF MOUNT CARMEL, PENNSYLVANIA.

SETTLING-TAN K.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,121, dated June 22,1897. Application met March 24,1897. serial No. 629,002. (No maar To @ZZwhom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, THoMAs M. RIGHTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mount Carmel, in the county of Northumberland and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSettling-Tanks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact de-v substances mixed therewith.

The object of my invention is to take care of and dispose of the greatmass of dirt which contaminates the Washings of the coal and wouldotherwise pollute and fill up the streams and drainage courses of theregion and eventually flood over valuable surface areas to the greatdamage of property.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, Figure 1 represents a plan view of my improvedsettling-tank. Fig. 2 is a front elevation and vertical lateral sectiontaken through the elel vator-well on a line 0c, Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is atransverse section taken through the elevator on a line y y, Fig. l.Fig. 4t shows a detail view of one of the sections of the sectionalfloor.

A is the settling compartment or tank proper, having a funnel shapedbottom formed by sloping inclines, as shown at m n, converging fromthree sides toward the opening h, formed in the partition B of the frontside. This partition separates the settlingchamber from the Well C, inwhich is located an endless elevator or chain of buckets D. Thesebuckets are formed of thin sheet metal perforated on their ends andfront faces to allow the Water to escape from the mass during theascent. l

Eis a chute so located as to receive the refuse from the invertedbuckets as they pass over and discharge it into cars, carts, or otherreceptacles for removal.

F is a boot into which the bottom of the elevator-chain dips inreversing, and has an opening f in the bottom through which the tank maybe emptied and drained.

d d are the elevator-buckets. Motion is communicated to the chain ofbuckets from any convenient source of power through appropriate gears Gg II h H' h and shafting I I 1l t.

A manhole is provided, as shown at a, through which the tank may beentered for cleansing when desired.

The operation is as follows: After everything has been screened out fromthe mass as mined and separat-ion of the coal from the slate and refusematter has been effected the uid refuse, dirt and water, is introducedinto the settlingtank at any convenient point, as c. Here separationcommences to take place by gravity, the heavier suspended mattersubsiding to the bottom and the Water being run off 4at any convenientpoint, as e. The bottom of the tank being convergent, the settlingsnaturally flow toward the opening a in the partition B, which is ofabout the same height and width as an elevator bucket. This partitionseparates the iiuid mass in the tank from the Water in the elevator-Welland prevents agitation in the latter from the infiowing current, whilethe elevators, operating in a separate compartment, do not raise or stirup the subsiding matter in the main tank -durin g the operation ofsettling. The buckets being set in motion rapidly pick up the mass ofsettlings flowing toward and through the opening as they pass the sameand carry it up through the Water in the well to a suitable distanceabove the surface thereof, which stands at the same level with that ofthe liquid mass in the settling-tank. During the ascent above thesurface the bulk of the water drains out of the buckets through' theperforations of the front and sides back into the Well, While theremaining refuse is discharged as the buckets become reversed in turningover the sprocket into the chute E for removal. The speed at which thebuckets are driven will be regulated in proportion to the height towhich it may be thought advisable to lift the mass before dumping toeffect the requisite drainage, being slower if the distance be shortthan Where the distance is longer. There being no current in theelevator-well the fine material IOO is not washed out of the buckets,and this is essential to good results.

To aid the eliiciency of the settling means above described, I use theauxiliary means shown at R, Figs. 2 and 3. R is a sectional floorperforated throughout and located a suitable distance below the overiiowor outlet e. The inlet is a tight conduit or flume o and opens belowthis floor at the opposite side from the outlet. The said floor is madein sections r about twelve inches wide, more or less, each section beingsustained on pivotal bearings q q at cach end, turning in sockets formediu or attached to the walls of the tank on the front and rear sides.These sections may be made of any suitable material, either wood ormetal, so that the perforations can be kept clear and in operativecondition. The object of the floor is to afford a resting-place forliltering material to be placed on the upper surface thereof, the saidfloor being continuous when all the sections are in place andhorizontally adjusted. The filtering material may be sand, gravel,powdered coke, cinders, or any of the materials in use suitable for thepurpose. The function of the filtering material is to strain out thefiner impurities in the liquid contained in the tank as the liquid risestoward the overflow, holding back the impurities and letting the waterIiow off comparatively clear. The object of making the iioor in pivotedsections is to enable the filtering material to be readily dumped intothe tank, when it becomes clogged and inefficient,by means of thehandles p p, provided for the purpose, one to each section, and extending a sufficient distance above the hi gli-water level of the tank to beoperated.

In Fig. 2 I have shown two of thc sections at the right hand in obliqueposition, as they would appear in the act of dumping.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In asettling-tank for coal-\vashings, the combination of asettling-compartment with a converging bottom, an inlet flume orconduit, an outlet-chute, a discharge-chute for refuse-settlings, asectional perforated floor R, for sustaining filtering material, havingpivoted sections r, a well-compartment, an endless chain of perforatedbuckets located in the Well, and means for giving motion to the saidchain of buckets, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a settling-tank for collieries, the combination of asettling-coinpartment A, having converging bottom, inlet-conduit,overflowpassage, perforated sectional iioor, with pivoted sections,partition B with opening Z), well C, elevator-chain in said well withperforated buckets, discharge-chute E and boot F, substantially as andfor the purpose speeied.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

THOMAS N. RIGHTICR.

Witnesses:

W. B. FAUsr, JonN l. GIBsoN.

